Live on TV3 Palm Springs

by Bill Evans

  ***

  Ross Mitchell had his hands full figuring out how he was going to create a spot for Lisa in his sales department. Every day, at some point when he was out of his office, he would return to see one more page taken off the desk calendar that Lisa had given him. He thought about just throwing the whole calendar away. But he didn’t. The truth was Ross Mitchell was afraid. He was afraid to cross the reporter/sales-wannabe. He had never met a person as strong, confident, and threatening as this young lady. The fact that she was so young also scared him, because she seemed fearless. All good sales qualities, he reminded himself, but how am I going to give her what she wants? He could not chance that she might ruin his reputation.

  Bo Turner was the number two salesperson on the local sales staff for Ross Mitchell. He had been at the station for the last seven years. Bo worked hard every day and did a really good job for the station. At thirty-three and single, he was making a strong living selling television advertising. His life was about to change drastically, and he had no idea it was coming.

  Ross knocked on the door of his general manager. John Miller called for him to enter. “What’s going on, Ross? Your numbers look good for this month. How are the sales for the debate going?”

  “No problem for the debate. We’ve already sold out our sponsorships.” The sales manager took a deep breath and cleared his throat, which got his general manager’s attention. “I wanted to give you a heads-up that we might have a problem with Bo Turner.”

  “Problem, what kind of problem?” The general manager stopped his paperwork so he could give Ross his full attention.

  “I think Bo might be giving some of his advertisers some free spots. Not just a few, but a lot of free commercials. He might be using trade for himself as well.”

  Trade for services was something television and radio stations did on a common basis. They might trade for restaurants, sometimes vehicles, hotels—services that stations would have to pay for under normal circumstances. Trade abuse was always a worry for station management, especially in the ‘80s. It was usually the responsibility of the sales managers to oversee and manage the trade accounts. The GM was responsible for making sure the sales managers were also compliant.

  “What’s your basis for all this?” The general manager was not happy. The news was particularly disturbing because it involved one of the station’s top salespeople.

  “I don’t have it all put together yet. I’m gathering all the facts right now. I wanted to give you a heads-up.” Ross had planted the seed in his boss’s head and that was all he wanted to do at this time. The local sales manager’s fear of Lisa’s threat was enough to scare him into creating a lie that could destroy an innocent person.

  “Keep me posted. I want to know where you are with this daily. If I need to get involved, let me know. Have you confronted Bo with this information?”

  “Not yet. Again, I want to be sure of what I think is going on first. I will keep you informed.” Ross got up and left the general manager’s office. He was only a couple of weeks from Lisa’s deadline. This was as serious a deadline as he had ever been given. He couldn’t afford to miss it. He believed her threat and wasn’t going to give her any reason to follow through. His career was on the line.

  “Ross, make sure you get Dick involved. You better be well documented and buttoned up before you accuse anyone.”

  ***

  Three days later, Bo Turner was called into the Ross Mitchell’s office.

  “Bo, sit down please.” Ross went to the door and closed it. That signaled that the conversation was serious.

  “I’ve got to ask you about a couple of things that I found that are disturbing.”

  Bo and Ross were generally on good terms. They had worked together for years. Despite that relationship, Turner felt very uncomfortable right now. He had never had a conversation start out this way. And he was always very insecure about his position with his sales manager.

  “Okay. What are we talking about?”

  “I’ve discovered several of your accounts getting some free commercials. I also found some evidence of misuse of trade. I just need to ask you about these things because it involves your accounts.”

  Bo was normally a very quiet person. He never raised his voice and always kept a very low profile in his daily routine. He simply did his job, but now he was feeling threatened. His honesty and integrity were in question, and that didn’t sit well with this well-respected sales professional.

  “What are you talking about, Ross? What accounts? What trade?” Bo’s voice rose. This reaction caught Ross off guard. He chose Bo for this “play” because of his low-key demeanor. Ross thought that if he had to force someone out, Bo might be the perfect candidate.

  “Anderson Automotive, for one. It looks as though you gave them some extra no-charge spots. I don’t recall you asking if you could do this or not. There are some discrepancies with zero-dollar spots on the schedule for Pool Tech. When I got into this a little deeper, I was told that they had done work at your house and maybe you gave them some free spots instead of paying for the work.”

  “What the hell is going on here, Ross? You’ve known me for a long time and you know I don’t work this way. This is bullshit! And you know it.”

  “Bo, I just need you to know that I’m going to have to audit your accounts and see if there are other discrepancies as well. I didn’t want to do this behind your back, and in fact, I’d like to have your cooperation. That is why I’m talking to you.”

  Bo Turner fumed. “Sure, whatever you need from me. This is bullshit, and you know it. I want to see the schedules you’re talking about regarding zero-dollar commercials. I have never cheated this company out of one dime.” Bo could barely stay in his chair. “Is there anything else, Mr. Mitchell?” His tone was very matter-of-fact.

  “No, not right now. I wanted to give you a heads-up about what I was going to be doing.”

  Bo left Ross’s office and immediately went down to his cubicle, picked up his briefcase, and left the building. When he got home he called the general sales manager for the NBC station, Tom Driscoll.

  “Tom, Bo Turner. How are you?”

  The two had talked several times over the years. Tom knew how strong a salesperson Bo was and tried to recruit him whenever he had a sales opening. “I’m good, Bo. What’s going on?”

  “I’ll come right to the point, Tom. I’m ready to make a move, and if you’re interested in having me on your sales team, then I’d like to see if we can put a deal together.”

  “You finally figured out that Ross Mitchell is an ass?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Yes, I’m interested. You have time for lunch today?” Tom Driscoll was smart enough to know that when the number two salesperson in the market gave you an opportunity to grab him, you took advantage of that.

  “Let’s meet at Nicolino’s at 11:45.”

  “Great, I’ll see you then.”

  Nicolino’s was a little, family-owned Italian restaurant. Mark, the owner, was a local favorite, especially among the media people. Tom and Bo grabbed a booth in the back room, away from most of the tables. By the end of lunch, Bo had made his deal with the NBC station. He would start work on the following Monday. He wasn’t interested in giving Ross Mitchell two-weeks’ notice, or anything else, after the way he had been treated.

  Everyone in sales understood that you would be shown the door as soon as you gave notice, especially if you were going across the street. The two-weeks’ notice simply didn’t exist in local media sales departments. Besides, Bo was done, and as soon as he could get his personal effects out of his office, he would resign effective immediately.

  This was exactly what Ross Mitchell had hoped for. Ross knew Bo would be snapped up by a competitor, and he figured it would be NBC.

  Ross’s phone rang the next morning.

  “Ross. It’s Bo. Take your job and shove it. I’m going with NBC—immediately. I’ll send someone by to pick up my thing
s. You’ll regret this, Ross. I promise you.”

  Ross hung up and smiled. He now had his sales opening. He didn’t care what it might cost him revenue-wise. This was a defensive move to protect his own career and personal reputation.

  ***

  Steve Draper put the finishing touches on the mayoral debate. Sonny Bono against the city of Palm Springs—that was the way it would be silently promoted. No one had to say those exact words, but that’s how everyone in the Coachella Valley looked at this special TV event. The drama of Sonny Bono running for mayor and the national attention had created a much bigger election than at any other time in Palm Springs.

  The debate would be held at the Palm Springs Hyatt Hotel where the TV3 live truck blew up. It was still a newer property and had plenty of room for two hundred people to sit in the audience. The Palm Springs Jaycees were the presenting civic service club attaching their name to the event. The debate was only a couple of days away when Steve got the dreaded phone call that he didn’t want but secretly knew was coming.

  “This is Steve.”

  “Hey, Steve. It’s Greg McDonald.”

  “Look, Sonny might not participate in the debate.” Greg wasn’t laughing this time.

  “What the fuck, Greg? We are two days away. What’s going on?” Steve let out all the tension he was feeling from producing his first TV project.

  “Look, Steve, you and I have joked about this, a lot. The worst thing Sonny could do right now is say something stupid. He has this election won if he just keeps quiet and doesn’t say anything. The only way I can ensure he doesn’t sabotage himself is by not having him appear on camera in a live event.”

  Both men paused and laughed.

  “It’s hard to argue against your logic because you’re right.” Steve got very serious. “Look, Greg, I need Sonny to participate. It makes the whole event. It is why everyone will be watching. Just control him, and don’t let him go on a rampage.”

  Both men laughed again. It might have been at the idea of controlling someone like Sonny. Or it might have been at the whole idea of him even running for mayor.

  “Steve, I’ll do what I can, but no guarantees. Hopefully, you won’t hear from me again and I’ll just see you Thursday night. I just wanted to give you a heads-up.” Greg hung up already knowing that he was not going to let Sonny Bono participate in the live debate.

  Steve decided not to share this conversation with anyone. He’d let the next forty-eight hours play out until he got the official word from Greg that Sonny wasn’t going to debate.

  ***

  Bo Turner showed up at the station at 7:15 hoping to catch John Miller. The new GM had a reputation for showing up early. Bo wasn’t disappointed.

  “Mr. Miller, can I have a minute?”

  “Sure. Come on in.” The general manager opened the door to his office. “Grab a chair. What’s on your mind so early in the morning, Bo?” The GM knew when a salesperson showed up at his office without the local sales manager, it usually wasn’t going to be good news.

  “Mr. Miller, I have loved my time here, but I am resigning effective immediately.”

  John Miller didn’t show his shock, but he felt it. “What happened, Bo? Why are you leaving us? You’ve been here, what, six years? You’re one of our top salespeople. Why do you feel you have to leave? And why immediately? What happened?”

  “I’ve been here seven years. The other day Ross Mitchell attacked my character and claimed I had been giving advertisers free spots and abusing trade.” Bo calmly explained his reasons. The general manager jumped in before Bo could continue.

  “Ross did talk to me about the fact that he thought something might be going on and he was letting me know he was checking into it.”

  “There is nothing to check into, sir. I don’t know what Ross was, or is, trying to do here. I can tell you with certainty that this is all bullshit and I’m hurt. I can’t work for someone who doesn’t trust me. I resigned effective immediately. I wanted to tell you myself because this station has been really good to me. I’m only sorry we haven’t had time to get to know each other. Or you would know that what Ross accusing me of is out of my character.”

  “Hold on, Bo. You don’t have to leave. Ross told me he was checking into things that didn’t look right to him. That is all I know at the present. Give me some time to, you know, look into this situation before you decide. Unless you have some place to go.” Then, after a short pause—”Do you have something lined up? Are you going across the street?”

  “I’m going to the NBC station and I start on Monday. I’m sorry, but I don’t know what game Ross Mitchell is playing. I can’t let him mess with my life like this. I’ve put up with the way he disrespects me and others over the years, but not this time. He’s now made this personal and I don’t know how I would ever be able to work for him again.”

  “I understand. I’m sorry we’re losing you. You’ve always been one of our top performers.” The new GM was pissed but tried to take the high road. “I wish you nothing but good luck. Let me know if it doesn’t work out for you.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Miller. It has been a pleasure working for you, if only for this very short time. I can tell you this—I won’t come back as long as Ross Mitchell is your local sales manager.”

  “I understand what you’re saying.” Both men stood up and shook hands. “Good luck, Bo.”

  ***

  The red message light was blinking when Ross Mitchell arrived at his office a little before eight. “Ross, this is John Miller. Come see me as soon as you get in.”

  No one liked to have a message like that on their phone first thing in the morning. It was never good news. It also meant the boss was in earlier than the sales manager.

  “John, you wanted to see me?” Ross stood at the GM’s door.

  “Come on in, Ross. Bo Turner came to see me first thing this morning. In fact, he was waiting for me when I got here. Ross, he resigned. He said he didn’t trust you and didn’t feel he could work for you anymore.”

  John Miller had been a general manager for only a few months, but he knew not to say anything more than the facts when he confronted a manager. He wanted to get his local sales manager’s reaction first.

  Ross pretended to be upset. He was the only one who knew the truth and the reason behind it.

  “I told you about my suspicions. His resigning makes me think that there might be more to this than even I expected to find.”

  “I want you to continue your investigation and let me know what you find. I want to know exactly what you find out about your speculation regarding Bo Turner. When you know it, I want to know it! Am I clear on this?”

  “Is there any need for that now that he’s resigned?”

  Ross wanted the situation to just go away now that he had accomplished what he intended to do. His antics had gotten the result he was looking for. Plus, he didn’t believe he was going to find anything to begin with, because he had made up all the allocations.

  “Yes, I want to see what, if anything, this leads to. I hope for your sake that you find something. I don’t like losing my number two salesperson to our competition.”

  Ross didn’t know what Bo had said to his boss, but it was obvious that Bo raised some questions in the general manager’s mind about the local sales manager.

  Ross reacted to what the general manager had said about Bo Turner leaving.

  “What do you mean losing him to our competition?” Ross asked, pretending not to already know the news.

  “Bo’s going over to the NBC station. His last day with us, was yesterday. His resignation is effective immediately. The general manager let his words sink in to his sales manager’s head. “I don’t like losing a good salesperson, and a good team player. I hope your little investigation has some merit behind it or this is going to reflect badly on you.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll let you know what I turn up.” Ross left his boss’s office, not quite sure what he was going to do. He didn’t have
anything on Bo. But this was still better than having Lisa rat him out about his sexuality. That would have been a bigger disaster in his mind.

  12

  THE DAY BEFORE Palm Springs’ mayoral debate, Steve Draper’s phone rang. It was the call he hoped would never come.

  “Steve, it’s Greg McDonald. Sonny’s out. He’s not going to be able to do the debate.”

  “We are hours out, and you know I built this whole debate around Sonny participating.”

  “Look, it’s not what you think. Mary went into the hospital a few hours ago with complications with her pregnancy. Sonny is at the hospital.”

  Steve didn’t want to seem unsympathetic. “How’s Mary doing?”

  “She’ll be okay, but don’t count on Sonny being in the debate.”

  “I’m coming over to your office, so don’t disappear.”

  Steve headed out of the office and to his car. The drive was only fifteen minutes from Cathedral City to Greg McDonald’s office.

  Greg was outside the office waiting for Steve to drive up.

  “Let’s walk over to the coffee shop and grab a couple of Cokes.” It was obvious that Greg didn’t want to talk in his office. “Steve, I’ve always been honest with you. We’ve talked about the fact that everyone knows the only way Sonny can lose this election is if he says something stupid this last week of campaigning. So”—there was a long pause before Greg continued—”Mary has complications with her pregnancy and is in the hospital.”

  Steve Draper knew exactly what Greg was telling him. Sonny was ducking out of the debate and Mary was his excuse.

  ***

  Ross Mitchell found Lisa Addelson in the hallway, and instead of avoiding her, this time he went right up to her.

  “Come to my office for a minute, please.” The two walked up the stairs and into Ross’s office. “The gods must be aligned for you. Bo Turner quit yesterday and that opens up a sales spot.”

  “I was thinking your gods must be aligned,” Lisa smiled as she shot her comment back. “When do I start?”